His one-man protest has garnered only one objection in the local community, he claimed. But it has left him living on a monthly income of just over £100.

LAMH Recycle defended its practices and insisted the company helped unemployed into work. It told the Guardian that 16 of its staff worked for nothing. A spokesman said McArthur's case had been "misrepresented."

In a statement, the DWP said: "Community Work Placements help long-term unemployed people to gain work experience which increases their confidence, helps them to gain vital skills and crucially, improves their chances of getting a job.

"These placements do not replace existing roles," it told The Independent.